A promise of forever
by silver brilliance
Summary: Sequel to Wings of Silver. :D The story starts a year after the Doolittle Raid. After spending the past year in Tennessee, Gabrielle Connor had enough of waiting in the sidelines for Danny Walker to return from his missions. She missed him, missed her friends, and she was bored, so she moved back to New York, and soon found the perfect solution to her problems...Read and review!
1. Chapter 1: Back in New York

**Author's note: After a long break, I've decided to follow through with the sequel and see how it works out. :D For those who are new to the story, this is the first chapter of the sequel to Wings of Silver, you might want to read that first if you're interested in the story between Gabrielle Connor (my OC ^^) and Danny Walker. This story starts a year after the Doolittle Raid. I haven't thought of the ending yet though, pretty much going to make things up as I go along. Might not be able to update as frequently now, but I'll try. :D Hope everyone enjoys this story as well!**

**Disclaimer: All characters you recognize from Pearl Harbor are not mine. ^^ **

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Chapter 1

Gabrielle Connor wrung her hands anxiously as she waited behind the gates of the runway, chewing on her lip as she cast yet another eye on her watch. Why wasn't it time yet?

It had been so long since she last saw Danny…he was meant to be away for just 7 months, then something happened and the mission got delayed.

He didn't say much about what that caused the delay in his letters, and Gabby couldn't help grinding her teeth in frustration at not being able to know. If she had been there with him, she wouldn't have to go through all this. But she couldn't…not since she'd resigned from the army a year ago. The thought of rejoining the army crossed her mind a couple of times since then, but she'd quickly pushed them down the moment they surfaced.

No way Doolittle was letting her off if he saw her trying to pass off as an army pilot again. And considering his level of involvement in many of the war missions nowadays, it would be impossible to avoid running into him.

Still, it would help if Danny could be more detailed in his letters. Though the current mission he went on was nowhere as dangerous or secretive as the Doolittle raid, she knew there were still a lot of things he was leaving out of his letters. Whenever he wrote to her, he always talked about normal everyday stuff, like the terrible food, Rafe actually getting diarrhoea once or twice, the training they had that day…it was all very normal.

Too normal.

She knew there had to be more than that. He wasn't telling her because he didn't want her to worry, but she was going to get worried all the same, so why wouldn't he just tell her?!

Looking down at the nurse uniform she was wearing, Gabby couldn't help an evil grin spreading on her face. To everyone else, she looked like a nurse, albeit one who had been in such a hurry that she hadn't had time to change out of her uniform and had even forgotten to take off the mask meant only for operating theatres. There were even some throwing sympathetic looks her way, wondering how she could sit still in the hot weather with that mask on her face. She ignored them. Adjusting the mask she had on, she straightened up and turned back towards the runway, a mischievous glint in her dark brown eyes.

She hadn't told him she was coming. For all he knew, her last letter to him a month ago had been sent from his home in Tennessee, where she had been staying for the past year. She hadn't told him that, straight after she posted that letter, she'd packed her bags and came to New York, just so she could be there when he came back.

Served him right for leaving things out of his letters. Gabby grinned again.

With the mask on, there was no way Danny would recognise her. He was in for a big shock.

Beside her, her partner in crime, Evelyn Johnson had her own eyes trained on the horizon, waiting for the moment when the plane carrying her boys would come home. Their eyes met, and Evelyn smiled at the obvious glee in Gabby's eyes, amusement twinkling in her own as she envisioned Danny's reaction when he saw them. For a while, she could distract herself from those darker thoughts that never failed to plague her whenever she sat here waiting for them to come back.

She wanted to see them. Both of them. Back home, in front of her, alive and well. So far she'd been lucky. Whenever the planes come back from their missions, her boys had always made it back. Every time she came to meet them, she deliberately kept her eyes away from those who weren't as lucky and had their loved ones return in a flag-draped coffin.

If anything happened to either of them, she didn't know what she was going to do.

Finally, the plane came into view, the by-now-familiar sound of engines whining as it made its descent. The nearer it came, the more nervous she felt. Evelyn smiled wryly to herself. She was never getting used to it, was she?

Gabby subconsciously started chewing on her lip as she watched the plane come to a stop, then subconsciously held her breath as the door in the side open and the first pilot made his way out. Evelyn's dark brown eyes lit up immediately as she recognised Rafe McCawley, springing up from her seat and smiling as she caught his eye.

He smiled back, and gave her a slight nod. Evelyn's heart immediately settled. That meant Danny was fine, too.

She'd gotten lucky once again.

Sure enough, Danny Walker was the next to follow his best friend out of the plane, squinting slightly in the sun. The two ladies in bright white uniform stood out so much that he saw Evelyn almost immediately, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her waving at them. The nurse beside Evelyn…who was she? Evelyn's new friend? Half her face was covered, for goodness sake. Whoever she was waiting to see probably won't recognize her at all!

Shaking his head, Danny smiled. It was kind of sweet though, to think that she'd been in such a rush to get here that she'd forgotten to take her mask off. It seemed like something Gabby would do…

If she had been a nurse, that is.

Danny couldn't help scanning the crowd again. Gabby had said she was getting busy on the farm in her last letter, and even though he'd told her when they were coming back, she hadn't mentioned anything about coming to New York to meet him…

Nope…she wasn't here. Danny was sure he would have spotted her by now if she was.

Rafe hid a chuckle as they walked towards Evelyn, nudging Danny in the side. "Thought you said you weren't expecting her to be here?"

"Yeah, I'm not." Danny said somewhat defensively.

"Yes you are."

"I'm not."

Rafe raised his eyebrows. "Do I sense disappointment?"

Danny eyed him warily. "What?"

"Nothing." Rafe smiled dangerously. "No one bullies you in front of me and gets away with it, that's all."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You leave Gabby out of this, Rafe." They had been in a war for a good two years now, and his friend was still talking about him getting bullied. Besides, Gabby hadn't said she was coming. He was the one who got his hopes up, that's all. How would that count as bullying?

"Did I say I was talking about Gabby?" Rafe smirked.

"What's this? Arguing so soon?" Evelyn had an exasperated smile on her face as she met them halfway on the tarmac.

Danny turned his back on Rafe's smug expression as he smiled at Evelyn. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Happiness and relief shone her eyes as she shook her head in mock resignation. "You two aren't ever going to grow up, are you?"

Danny grinned, then drew her into a brief hug, planting a light kiss on her forehead before stepping back. "You look great."

In an act of mock jealousy, Rafe planted himself right in the middle of the two of them, clearing his throat as he looked expectantly at Evelyn. "My turn."

Evelyn laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to plant a full kiss on his lips. "I've missed your nonsense, Rafe."

Danny rubbed his temples and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Don't encourage him, Evelyn. He's getting out of hand."

Rafe shot him a hurt look. Danny only raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Just then, a slight movement at the side caught his eye, and Danny turned to see the masked nurse standing there behind Evelyn. He frowned slightly.

"Sorry, ma'am, can I help you?" If she was looking for someone, he could probably point her towards the right direction.

She came a few steps closer, but said nothing. Danny blinked. Something in those smiling eyes seemed familiar…

When he failed to react, she came yet another few steps closer, bringing her so close that Danny reflexively took a step back. He looked so bewildered that Gabby couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. Pulling the mask off, she tilted her chin at him and grinned widely. "Gotcha."

Danny gaped at the "nurse" in front of him for a few seconds, then laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her tightly against him as he buried his face in her hair. "I thought you weren't coming."

His soft voice made Gabby's heart go all soft and mushy, and suddenly she felt like a jerk for what she did. She thought he would at least be mildly annoyed, but here he was, smiling happily at her without even a hint of disapproval or irritation…

Guiltily, Gabby laid her head on his chest and grudgingly conceded. "Fine, I won't do it again."

"Don't you dare." Danny tried to sound stern, but couldn't help smiling as he reached over and tucked her fringe behind her ear. It had been a very Gabby-like thing to do, and it was probably his own fault that he didn't see that coming.

He didn't need to ask where Gabby got that uniform from. The answer was obvious. Raising an eyebrow, Danny ran a finger along the name embroidered neatly along the rim of Gabby's hat, then glanced accusingly at the culprit. "Evelyn Johnson?"

"Told you Gabby was a bad influence." Rafe sighed as he came over with a guilty-looking Evelyn in tow. "Evelyn would never do this in the past."

"Face it, you liked my surprise." Gabby nudged Danny in the ribs.

"Don't I get a hug?" Rafe raised his eyebrows at Gabby.

Gabby pursed her lips in mock irritation. "Get out of my way."

"Come on now, I know you miss me."

"In your dreams."

"Leave us alone, Rafe." Danny pulled Gabby protectively towards him before those two could start bickering in earnest, steering her away from the crowds towards the gate. "We've got better things to do."

Indeed, the routine celebratory dinner was just hours away, and he still had to get Gabby out of this jarring white uniform.

An hour later, Danny smiled in satisfaction as Gabby strutted out of the room she was sharing with Evelyn, dressed in his favourite dress. The navy blue dress with the white sash that flowed around her waist, his first gift to her. He loved how she managed to look amazing just with her hair swept back in a simple ponytail and some light makeup.

His Rielle never needed to do much to look beautiful.

Rafe and Evelyn had already made their way to the dinner party, so it was just the two of them now. For that, Danny was glad. He wasn't exactly in a hurry to show the world what a lucky man he was.

Gabby did a small twirl as she reached the bottom of the stairs where he was waiting, then grinned happily at him. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely shocking." Danny said with a straight face.

Gabby made a face at him. "You've hurt your head while on this mission, I presume."

"Probably once or twice." Danny laughed, but immediately regretted it when he saw worry flash across her eyes. Gently pulling her towards him, he leaned his forehead against hers as he tightened his arms around her waist. "That was a joke, in case you haven't realised."

Before she could reply, he lifted her face up and caught her mouth in a tender kiss. He'd been wanting to do that since he'd gotten off the plane, and now that he finally had her to himself, he couldn't wait any more. Reaching one hand behind her head, he pressed her to him somewhat more roughly than he intended, his other arm snaking around her waist to secure her tightly against him.

Gabby responded fiercely as she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes as she relaxed into his embrace. His strong arms around her, his strong and steady heartbeat, his familiar warmth…all signs that he was indeed well and alive. Those sleepless nights she spent worrying about him seemed like a joke now, but she'd gladly go through them again if it meant she could have him here with her like this. Nothing else mattered.

They were both slightly breathless when they pulled apart, and Danny gazed lovingly into her shining eyes. "We're going to be late."

He made no sign of letting her go though.

Gabby grinned. "Good things come to those who wait."

"That I agree." Danny murmured softly as he gently stroked her cheek, pecking her lightly on the lips again. "I've waited long enough, I deserve a reward, don't you think?"

Gabby twirled a strand of hair around her finger nonchalantly. "I thought I heard someone say I looked absolutely shocking?"

Danny smiled, reaching down and interlacing his fingers with hers. "You know what I meant, Rielle."

"No I don't." Gabby pretended to play with her hair, deliberately avoiding the killer smile she knew he had to be aiming at her right now.

Danny heaved an exaggerated sigh, then moved behind her and draped his arms over her shoulder, pulling her close so that her back was to his chest. Gently nuzzling the side of her head, he rocked her slightly from side to side. "Rielle?"

"What?" Gabby couldn't help smiling at his tactics. He was almost 27 years old now, and here he was acting like a kid.

"I love you."

A ridiculous grin spread across Gabby's face. One year was too long a wait…but to hear him say those words again, everything seemed worth it.

"I love you too." She whispered softly.

"What? I can't hear you."

She rolled her eyes, then twisted out of his embrace, taking his hand in hers and pulling him towards the door.

"I said we're late for dinner."

"I could have sworn that wasn't what you said just now." Danny protested, but he obligingly let her drag him out the door and onto the streets.

They had a dinner to go to, and they were already terribly late.

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	2. Chapter 2: A night of surprises

**Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that there are still people following the sequel, haha, it is very encouraging. :D Sorry for the delay in updating, I had quite a bit of trouble in the inspiration department. ^^" **

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Chapter 2

When they reached the ballroom, Danny caught sight of his friends sitting around a table at the side, and happily led Gabby over to join them. Soft, jazzy music was playing in the background and the dance floor was relatively empty at this stage, with most people chatting quietly as food was served. Gabby's eyes darted towards the empty dance floor, then sideways towards Danny, a grin spreading on her face as she swiftly made plans to brighten up her night.

Come to think about it, she had never seen Danny dance, so she had no idea whether he could. Gabby couldn't imagine how she'd never felt curious about this before, but now that the idea was stuck in her mind, she was dying to know. Still, knowing Danny, he would never dance in front of so many people even if he knew how to. He was never the type to flaunt his skills. She was going to have to find a way to get him on that dance floor…

As they got nearer, with a slight pang of regret, Gabby realised that she didn't recognise the people seated around that table. Apart from Rafe and Evelyn, that was. In the past, she would have known the names of every pilot on the same mission…she missed the times when she could sit around a table and joke around with Gooz, Red, Anthony…Anthony had died on the Doolittle Raid, and the rest of the friends she used to have were scattered throughout the world now. Though Danny rarely talked about it with her, she knew there were a handful who were already not with them…

Subconsciously, she tightened her hand around Danny's as he introduced her to his friends, smiling politely as she exchanged greetings with all those friendly new faces. Rafe waved them over, shoving his friends aside as he pulled Danny down onto the only empty chair beside him.

Gabby glared at Rafe with mock irritation, but Rafe only shrugged at her. "Aw, too bad, Gabby dear, seems like there isn't enough space here for you…"

Before Danny could protest on her behalf, Gabby smiled sweetly at Rafe, then promptly pulled up a chair and went over to where Evelyn was sitting on Rafe's left. Evelyn looked up in amusement, then laughed when she saw Gabby's puppy-eyed expression. Shifting to the side so that there was enough space for Gabby's chair, Evelyn smiled apologetically at her. "Ignore Rafe, he's just being silly as usual."

Gabby gave Rafe a victorious smile, then planted herself firmly in the middle of the two of them. She raised her eyebrows at Rafe, as if daring him to protest. Rafe heaved a massive sigh, throwing his friends a betrayed look when he caught them sniggering. "What?"

"You ought to have learnt your lesson after all these years, Rafe." Danny chuckled, pushing a plate of chicken towards Rafe. "Eat up and stop wasting everyone's time."

Rafe wagged his finger at him. "You watch out, Danny. That girl's too sharp for her own good, you're going to get bullied for the rest of your life if you stay with her. Run now, while you still can."

Danny glanced over at Gabby, who was now happily engaged in conversation with Evelyn, and smiled softly. "I don't mind."

Rafe rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Yeah, you told me." Danny reached for the bowl of fries and stuffed some into his mouth.

"I'll have no choice but to continue watching out for you then." Rafe heaved a long-suffering sigh. Throwing his arm over Danny's shoulders, he pulled his best friend in closer. "So, to repay me for my sacrifice, help me on this one?"

Danny looked over at Rafe, still chewing fries in his mouth. "On what?"

Gabby glanced suspiciously at Rafe as he whispered something in Danny's ear. "I think those two are up to something."

Evelyn chuckled. "They always are." Her eyes shone with obvious affection as she looked over at them. "But I wouldn't change that for the entire world."

Gabby had no choice but to smile. "Me neither."

"I just wish they could come home more often though." Evelyn sighed as she picked at the peas on her plate. Ever since America joined the war, she rarely got to spend more than two weeks with Rafe at any one time. The only exception had been after the Doolittle Raid, where the boys got three whole months of leave…but that was because they had almost died doing it. She wasn't about to let them do that again.

Gabby sobered. She understood how Evelyn felt, of course. For a brief second, she felt bad for sitting between Evelyn and Rafe and taking up the precious time they had to spend with each other…then she remembered the true culprit, and shot another glare in his direction.

An all-too-familiar voice came from behind. "So, what's cooking?"

Doolittle.

Evelyn looked on with amusement as Gabby straightened her back almost reflexively, placing her hands in her lap and uncrossing her legs to put her feet flat on the floor. A quick sweep across the table showed that most of the pilots had done the same. It was quite remarkable to watch, actually. Although she had spent one year away from the army, Gabby was still very much one of them.

Well, pretty much everyone under Doolittle's command would have this reaction when their commander comes around. The standards of discipline he expected from his men was well known throughout the entire army. Even though they liked him, few pilots would dare to fool around in his presence, even if it was in an informal setting like this.

Few, that was.

Evelyn was somewhat surprised to see Danny smiling at Doolittle and giving him a small nod. Danny used to tense up even at the slightest mention of Doolittle's name…Evelyn rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then chuckled silently when she saw that Rafe still had his arm draped across Danny's shoulders. He also had the nerve to wave at Doolittle as if greeting a friend. "Nothing, sir. Care to join us?"

"Maybe later, I've got to say hi to a couple more people." Doolittle smiled and clapped Rafe on the shoulders, his usually stern brown eyes twinkling as he looked at his men. "At ease, gentlemen. We're at a party, for goodness sake."

Then, like a breeze of wind, he was gone, moving on to the next table and easily achieving the same effect on his next wave of victims. Gabby heaved a small sigh of relief. It seemed like Doolittle hadn't noticed her...well, she had her back to him, and he had never seen her dressed up as a girl, so it wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize her. Secretly, she was glad he didn't. She had no idea what to say to him if he did.

Danny gave his comrades at the next table a sympathetic look, and shook his head. "I swear he does this on purpose."

"Of course, he's not Doolittle for nothing." Rafe shrugged. "I don't think even a firing squad would be able to remove that evil streak in him."

"I can hear you, McCawley." Doolittle's calm voice wafted towards them. Rafe promptly choked on his food, and his friends erupted in laughter.

Thankfully, dinner was rather uneventful after that. People chatted with each other, competed for that last drumstick on the plate, bullied each other into silly dares which ended up with lots of alcohol being drunk…Gabby couldn't help noticing that no one spoke of the mission they just finished, and there seemed to be an underlying heaviness in the atmosphere which the pilots were trying to cover with light jokes and laughter.

She understood what these pilots were going through. She'd been there herself, after all. Every one of them were survivors, and this party was meant to celebrate their success, their victory. They had survived another mission, another brush with death, to be able to sit here and chat with their friends as if nothing was wrong in the world. They have more than earned their right to enjoy themselves, even if it was only for one night. Goodness knows when they would be called up for the next mission. It could be tomorrow, or next week, or next month, if they got lucky.

But with everyone gathered around a table like this, it would be hard not to remember those who weren't as lucky. Those faces which they had once shared dinner with, but would never get to see again. And there was no way of knowing which of these people sitting and talking with them right now would be the next one to go missing from the next party.

Gabby looked around the table at the laughing and talking faces of the pilots she didn't know, her heart in a complex mix of sympathy, respect and regret. Her eyes finally fell on Danny smiling quietly as Rafe cracked another of his lame jokes, and suddenly, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to tell her all about the mission anymore, if it would only mean making Danny go through all those unwanted memories again...

Sighing, Gabby shook her head and turned back to her dinner. She was thinking too much. Just then, the lights above the tables dimmed slightly, and the empty dance floor lit up. It was time to dance. After a moment's pause, the band struck up a lively tune, and eager couples began entering the dance floor. Gabby's eyes brightened as she remembered the "entertainment" she had set her mind on, her dark thoughts effectively swept away into a corner of her mind as she grinned. This was going to be fun.

Rafe stood up and held out a hand towards Evelyn, grinning at her as he bowed slightly. "May I have the honour, my lady?"

Laughing, Evelyn took his hand. "It will be my pleasure, captain."

Gabby looked enviously at the two of them walking towards the dance floor, then glanced expectantly at Danny, who developed a sudden interest in the baked beans on his plate. The other pilots had all left the table as well, flocking towards the other end of the room where a couple of nurses were hanging out, no doubt going to do their best to win a dance partner for the night. It was just the two of them at their table now. Even if Danny was too shy to ask her for a dance in front of his friends, the fact that he wasn't opening his mouth now made it obvious that he had no intention of dancing.

Gabby wasn't about to let him off easily.

Heaving a huge, exaggerated sigh, she shifted across the empty chair between them and planted herself next to Danny. "We are at a party, you know?"

Danny could feel her eyes boring a hole into the top of his head. Determinedly, he kept his head down as he fished through his beans to pick at a stalk of broccoli.

"Everyone's having fun." Another huge sigh from Gabby. "Everyone except me."

The corners of Danny's mouth twitched.

"I came all the way from Tennessee, stood under the hot sun for hours, dressed up in your favourite dress…I did all those things, you know? Don't you think I deserve to enjoy myself at a party like this?"

Somewhat resignedly, Danny finally put his fork down. His dark brown eyes were full of amusement as he looked at her. "So?"

"You said you wanted a reward, didn't you?" Gabby wrapped her arm around his as she pulled him up from his seat. "Then dance with me."

"Are you sure about this?" Danny raised his eyebrows. "During my high school prom, my dance partner ended up with a ripped skirt."

It was Gabby's turn to raise her eyebrows. "You're kidding."

"Nope. Perfectly serious. I've never stepped on the dance floor since." Danny laughed at the suspicious expression on her face, then raised his arms in surrender. "Hey, if you don't mind taking the risk, I'm more than happy to do it."

Gabby pretended to consider it carefully, then squared her shoulders. "I'll risk it."

Danny couldn't help laughing, aiming a gentle flick on her forehead. "Alright then. There's something I need to do before that though, so let go of me, would you?"

Gabby narrowed her eyes. "You're going to run, aren't you?"

Danny grinned, then bent down to peck her lightly on her cheek. "I won't."

Before she could react, he swiftly slipped away and headed towards the band. Gabby almost followed after him, then decided against it. The band was on the stage at the other end of the room, so if Danny wanted to escape, he wouldn't be going there. Curious, she watched as he went up to a man dressed up in a suit and a tie, probably the host for the dinner. Whatever he said, the man appeared to like it very much indeed, laughing and clapping Danny on the back, nodding his head enthusiastically as he got up and disappeared around the back of the stage.

Danny made his way back towards her, grinning happily as he took her hand. "That's done. We can dance now."

"What was that about?" Gabby couldn't help asking, but he only winked at her. "You'll find out soon enough."

The band struck up a slow, soothing tune just as they reached the dance floor, and Danny's hand went naturally around Gabby's waist as he led her through the dancing crowd, stopping when they reached the centre. The bright orange lights above cast a warm glow on Danny as he turned and extended a hand towards her. "May I?"

Gabby's breath caught in her throat. Even though it was hardly a private setting, all the other couples seemed to fade into the background, and that charming smile on his face was all she could see. There was nothing nervous or awkward about the way he smiled at her. Eyes sparkling with anticipation, she took his hand, smiling up at him as he swept her easily into a waltz.

"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" Gabby whispered softly as they waltzed through the crowd, immersed in their own little world of music and light.

"I never said I couldn't." Danny grinned.

"But, your dance partner…"

"She stepped on her skirt just as the dance was ending. I managed to stop her from falling onto the floor, but she'd already ruined her skirt with her heels."

"You said you've never danced again since!" Gabby shot him an indignant look.

"That's because I didn't have anyone I wanted to dance with." Danny said softly as he pulled her in closer, leaning his forehead against hers. "Happy?"

Her indignation dissolved into one huge pool of happiness at those words. Smiling, she tilted her chin and stole a swift kiss from him. "Happy."

They enjoyed the rest of the dance in amicable silence. Gabby contented herself with basking in his warmth, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes as she let him guide her through the dance floor. As usual, time flew by whenever they were together, and soon it was almost time for the dance to end.

As they came to a slow stop, Danny drew her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead. Looking down into her shining eyes, he whispered softly. "That was the best dance I've ever had."

"Me too." Gabby smiled. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm starting to feel hungry again, I won't want to stop at all."

"Before we go back to our food, there's something else you wouldn't want to miss." He said in a conspiring tone, grinning as he took her hand and started moving towards the centre of the dance floor.

Puzzled, Gabby followed close behind. Suddenly, the lights overhead dimmed, leaving only the centre of the dance floor fully illuminated as the surroundings were cast in shadow. Soft murmurs of surprise filled the room as everyone unanimously turned to look in the direction of the light.

It was just Rafe and Evelyn standing in that column of light, and at that moment, Gabby realised what was going to happen…

Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise when her surroundings suddenly became dark, and for a brief second, she thought how lucky she was that the light bulb above her head was working…something didn't feel quite right. Wasn't it too much of a coincidence for the light bulb above her head to be the only one that was still working?

And they happened to be in the middle of the dance floor, where everyone could see them…

There was complete silence for a brief second. Suddenly, someone in the crowd started cheering, and soon, there were whistles and shouts of support as Rafe started going down on one knee. Her mind became a complete blank. She could only watch as the man of her dreams took out a small velvet-covered box from his pocket.

"Evelyn…would you marry me?"

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	3. Chapter 3: Rejoining the army

Chapter 3

Gabby watched as Rafe and Evelyn kissed and embraced each other amidst claps, cheers and whistles from the watching crowd, her own heart filled with happiness and a certain degree of envy. She was happy for her friends for finally taking that final step, and she admired Rafe for being brave enough to propose in such a public setting…eyeing Danny from the corner of her eye, she shook her head and sighed. Danny would never do this, even though she had hinted numerous times that all he had to do was ask, and she would have said yes.

It wasn't so much a fear of rejection. It was just not his way of doing things. If he were ever to propose to her, it would be a very private affair, probably with just the two of them and no one around for miles around. That wouldn't be too bad either, having some quality time alone with Danny and then hearing him pop the question…

She didn't need rings, flowers, elaborate planning and expensive dinners…

Leaning over, she whispered in Danny's ear. "So, this was what the two of you were talking about so secretively earlier?"

Danny smiled as he nodded happily. "Rafe's been wanting to propose for ages, but I guess he's finally decided tonight was the right time to do it."

"So, when are you going to do it, eh?" Gabby elbowed him playfully. She was only teasing him, but she could still see a quick flash of discomfort in Danny's eyes as he coughed awkwardly. "Rielle, we've talked about this…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Gabby couldn't help feeling slightly upset at his reaction, and she turned away from him, all the happiness she'd felt since the start of the day dissipating in a flash. "There's still a war going on, you don't want to ruin my future chances of a happy life in case you don't make it back, we're happy enough the way things are…yeah, yeah, I know."

Danny could tell she was upset, and he sighed as he tugged on her arm and pulled her to the side so that they could speak with more privacy. Thankfully most people had their eyes on Rafe and Evelyn, and Danny was able to find a quiet corner relatively far away from the crowd. "Its not that I'm not willing, Rielle. You're all I ever wanted, and you know it. I love you, but I can't bring myself to hurt you…if we got married, and I…couldn't return from my missions, what's going to happen to you?"

Gabby's eyes flashed in a rare display of anger as she pulled her arm away. "You want me to go on and have a good life, maybe marry someone else, in case anything were to happen to you. You think that becoming a widow would ruin my life forever and I will never be happy again. Well, you know what? If anything were to happen to you…" Her voice broke slightly. "Do you think I'd be able to go on with my life as if nothing had ever happened? You think I'd be relieved that we were never married, so that I could happily marry someone else without second thoughts? Besides, I don't even care if we got married. I just want to be with you. Why can't you understand that?"

Danny fell silent, a small stab of pain in his heart at the hurt look in Gabby's eyes. He understood, he really did. But he couldn't bring himself to take their relationship to the next step. It would only mean more pain and grief for her if something went wrong…why couldn't she understand that? Wordlessly, he pulled her closer and hugged her tightly. She was everything to him, and he hated the idea of her being left alone in the world. If they were to live together…if they had children, and then he died…

To be honest, though he was happy for Rafe and Evelyn, he didn't really understand Rafe's decision. Choosing to get married at a time like this, when there is no way to guarantee their future together, was it really the right thing to do?

They've had a number of talks about this, and every time it had been a source of argument, so much so that they tend to avoid the topic completely nowadays…

Gabby took a few breaths to calm herself down, then started feeling guilty for her outburst. He had only just returned from a long mission, and tonight was meant to be a happy night. Rafe, his best friend, had just proposed to Evelyn. They had danced together for the first time since they got together. Yet, she had to spoil everything with this untimely outburst…Awkwardly, she shifted out of his arms and gave him a stiff smile. "I'll just pop into the washroom for a bit." She turned and fled before he could reply.

* * *

Taking a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror, Gabby tried for the twentieth time to apologize without sounding too awkward. "Danny, I guess I had a little too much to drink today…no, that sounds awkward. Ok, how about this? Danny, I think I got carried away by the atmosphere and said things I probably shouldn't have…urgh! Why did I have to rant at him? I could have just said things nicely, couldn't I? What's wrong with me today?"

Groaning, Gabby ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Why is this so difficult?" An image of the dejected look in Danny's eyes surfaced in her mind, and Gabby gave up. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at her reflection one last time. "Forget it, I'm just going to go out there, and tell him I'm sorry."

Leaving the washroom, Gabby looked over at where Danny had been standing, then frowned slightly when she saw that he wasn't there. He wasn't at their dinner table either. Maybe he was waiting for her outside? The party's almost ending anyway, most of the people had already left, in fact.

Trying to look above the shoulders of everyone in front of her as she searched for Danny, Gabby made her way towards the exit, then jumped when someone tapped her shoulder from the back. Whipping around, Gabby stared for a second, then subconsciously stood at attention. "Sir."

"Shut up, Connor, and just walk, alright?" Doolittle smiled and shook his head as he strolled casually beside her, silently thankful that he had waited for most people to leave before approaching her. The way she immediately recognised him and snapped to attention, there would be no hiding her previous military experience from the rest of the pilots in the room. A quick glance around showed that no one had noticed their little exchange, and Doolittle heaved a small sigh of relief.

Gabby gulped, but obeyed. "How did you recognise me, sir?" She thought he hadn't noticed her earlier, but it seemed like he had.

"How could I ever forget the face of my first female pilot?" Doolittle smiled. "I didn't just come to say hi, I've got good news you might want to consider."

"What is it?" Gabby blinked. Good news? From Doolittle?

"Although women are still not allowed to enlist as combat pilots, there is this new squad of female pilots that the army is recruiting to fly non-combat missions. I thought you might be interested."

"Non-combat missions?"

"Yeah. We now have female pilots helping us to fly planes from the factories to the airfields, or between airfields, and some are helping us in target training. Its so that the military can free up more of our male pilots to go onto the frontline." Doolittle smiled at her somewhat sadly. "That being said, it's not completely danger-free either. There's always a risk of being injured during training, and if you're involved in ferrying aircraft to combat zones…you get my point. It's going to be something no one hears about, but its important work all the same. If you feel up to it…"

"I'll go, sir!" Gabby said enthusiastically. Out of the whole chunk of words Doolittle said, she only grasped the part about female pilots. She could fly again…she could join the army and fly again…this time as herself, without having to worry about being caught…

Doolittle glanced somewhat warily at her shining eyes. "I'll have to warn you though. If you enlist, you're going to do so as a complete beginner, go through all the basic training like everyone else. Unless you feel up to explaining to the people in charge why you, as a woman, had prior experience with military aircraft, you're going to have to hide your skills and learn everything from scratch. This could be unbelievably boring."

"I can do it." Gabby smiled confidently. "Thank you for telling me sir, you're the best!" Laughing happily, she waved at him and skipped out the door. Doolittle chuckled as he shook his head in resignation, making his own way out of the now empty ballroom. He'd almost forgotten how jumpy Connor used to be. Ah, the good old times…

Once she stepped out of the hotel, Gabby spotted an anxious-looking Danny pacing outside the door. She went up and hooked her arm around his, smiling up at his startled face. "Where's Rafe and Evelyn?"

Danny blinked. "They…they've gone on ahead to buy supper."

"I'm sorry about earlier." Gabby sobered and said earnestly. "I shouldn't have ranted at you like that."

"Rielle…" The look of relief on Danny's face was obvious. He thought it would take longer for her to get over it.

"I know." She sighed. "Its not the first time we've argued about this anyway. I promise I won't bring it up again, alright?" The last thing she wanted was to make Danny feel uncomfortable around her. It wasn't as if she was unhappy about the way their relationship was going anyway.

Danny smiled as he kissed her lightly on her forehead. "I promise I'll think about it too, alright?" She did have a point earlier. It wasn't going to be easy for her to move on if anything happened to him, and whether or not they were actually married didn't matter. Actually, a part of him was secretly pleased when she said that. Knowing that Gabby would continue to love and remember him if he died in the war…was oddly comforting.

Maybe he was thinking too much. If only he could let things go as easily as Gabby seemed to be able to…

Sighing, he tightened his hand around hers as they started walking back to the nurses' quarters. Gabby was staying with Evelyn, and his temporary barracks wasn't far off as well. At least they would get to see each other more often for the time being, until he got shipped off again two weeks later, that is.

"I met Doolittle just now. He told me about a new squadron of female pilots that is helping to fly aircraft from one place to another, and asked me if I was interested."

Danny frowned slightly. "What's this about?"

"Its a non-combat squad, and we'll just be helping to get the planes where they are needed so that male pilots can be sent into battle like you guys. And maybe occasionally we'll get to help out in target training." Gabby grinned gleefully at the thought. "Maybe we'll get to help train you guys for your next mission, who knows?"

Danny froze, then looked at Gabby in disbelief. "We? You've already said yes?"

"Of course. I've always wanted to be in the army, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to go back as, well, me, and not Gabriel Connor like before." Gabby shrugged. "There's no reason for me to turn him down, isn't it?"

Being in the army had lots of benefits, as far as she was concerned. Flying would keep her occupied, put her mind at ease, and on top of that, keep her updated about the missions that were being organized.

She wouldn't need to wait for weeks for Danny's letter to know what was happening with him.

Danny could tell she'd already made up her mind, and nothing he said was going to change anything, but that didn't mean he felt good about it. Pursing his lips in worry, he asked, "There won't be any combat missions?"

"Yeah, Doolittle said so." Gabby smiled, both touched and exasperated by his uneasiness. "Relax, Danny. What you're doing is heaps more dangerous than this, and I haven't said anything, have I?"

"Yeah, well, that's…"

"The first few months are going to be training anyway, so it'll be a breeze." Gabby stuck out her tongue. "I've been through all that, but I'll have to make it look like my first time flying military aircraft."

Danny couldn't help smiling at the thought of Gabby sitting through all those flight lessons again. "Well, try not to correct the flight instructor on everything he says, yeah?" It did set his mind at ease somewhat, knowing that Gabby wouldn't be involved in combat missions, though he would have preferred it if she stayed out of the war entirely.

Gabby laughed. "I won't."

Danny ruffled her hair dotingly, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a tight squeeze. "Don't try anything dangerous."

"I won't." Gabby smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder, eyes gleaming at the thought of returning to the cockpit.

It had been a year. Too long.

* * *

**Women Airforce Service Pilots did exit in WWII, haha, and I thought it'll be a job which suits Gabby well. Reviews? :D**


	4. Chapter 4: An uncertain future

**Author's note: I'm terribly sorry for the long delay! ^^"**

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Chapter 4

Hand in hand, Rafe and Evelyn walked down the brightly lit street in amicable silence, content with enjoying each other's company. Despite the late hour, many restaurants and pubs were still crowded with people, with laughter and music drifting onto the street from the open windows. It was a scene of peace and happiness, and for a while, Evelyn could convince herself that the world was not at war.

Two little children ran onto the street in front of them, giggling as they chased after a small red ball, which just kept rolling away from their short, chubby fingers. Their flustered mother hurried after them. "Be careful of the cars…" The kids just kept running. She threw a frustrated look at the man strolling behind her, presumably her husband, but he just shrugged at her and grinned. Obviously he was not going to go running after the children. Rolling her eyes, she resumed her chase of her kids, who had disappeared around the corner. "Alex, James, come back here!"

Rafe chuckled as he looked sideways at Evelyn. "You know, in a few years' time, that could be us."

Evelyn smiled in amusement. "I can imagine you doing just that. Enjoying yourself, while leaving the kids to me." She tried to look stern as she met his eyes. "Don't you even dream about getting away with that."

Rafe laughed as he wrapped his arm round her waist and pulled her closer towards him. "I wouldn't bear leaving all the hard work to you." He winked at her. "I'll do the running, and you can watch."

Evelyn shook her head. "Then I believe I would end up losing both my husband and my children."

Rafe heaved an exaggerated sigh. "You know me too well, my dear. It's not fun anymore."

"You can still reconsider, we're not married yet." Evelyn shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not a chance."

Evelyn smiled, laying her head on Rafe's shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "I know I might regret this afterwards, but right now, running after our kids doesn't seem like such a bad idea."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Fine, I take it back."

"Too late."

"I thought someone said he wouldn't bear leaving all the hard work to me?"

"I believe someone rejected my offer to run after the kids for her."

Evelyn laughed, then tiptoed slightly to peck him on the cheek. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Rafe grinned, then bent down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "I knew I picked a fine lady." His eyes shone as he looked lovingly at her. "Even now, I still can't believe how lucky I am."

He had a best friend who was closer than a brother to him. The most beautiful woman in the world just said yes to his proposal. He had escaped death not once, but twice, although the second time had nearly cost him Danny's life…

His deep brown eyes darkened slightly at the thought of what had almost happened a year ago, and he shuddered slightly. Evelyn sensed the change in his mood, and reached down to interlock her fingers tightly with his. "I'm the one who's lucky." She whispered. "Thank you, for coming back."

Rafe would never understand how she felt each time she stood at the sidelines, watching the plane land with her heart in her throat, craning her neck to see if her boys stepped off that plane…

Each time he came back, she felt so grateful and relieved, only to have to send him off again a couple of days later…

"Hey," Rafe murmured softly as he drew her into a deep embrace. Deep down, he felt somewhat useless that there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. Well, he could resign from the army and set her mind at ease, but it would be going against his sense of duty, and he knew she wouldn't want that from him.

He couldn't leave the army now, not when there was still so much to do…

Still, it made him feel better to think that she had said yes to his proposal.

If he had to die on this next mission, he would die a happy man.

As if she could sense his thoughts, Evelyn's head shot up as she glared fiercely at him.

_You promised me a lifetime, Rafe. Don't you forget that._

The unspoken words hung like a cloud between them. Rafe couldn't bear the look of sadness and resignation in Evelyn's eyes. He knew what she was thinking, but there was nothing he could do about it. "Its ok, Ev." He kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes as he inhaled the familiar scent of shampoo. They were together now, that's all that mattered.

They stayed that way for a while, then Evelyn pushed him away slightly as she turned her head in embarrassment. "We're in the middle of the street, for goodness sake."

Rafe raised his eyebrows. "You just realised?"

He watched in amusement as her cheeks flushed spectacularly. "I see, you just realised." He chuckled, then waved to some people throwing curious glances their way as they walked past. "She just agreed to marry me." He called out joyfully towards them, then grinned as the tips of Evelyn's ears turned red.

Curiosity gave way to looks of realisation as the people smiled and nodded their heads at the newly-engaged couple. A couple even gave Rafe a knowing wink and a thumbs up as they walked past.

Somewhat flustered, Evelyn slapped Rafe lightly on the shoulder. "Why did you do that for?"

"I'm letting everyone know how lucky I am." Rafe grinned as he hooked his arm through hers and resumed their little stroll down the street. "What did we come out here for again?"

"Supper?"

"Ah right! Can't believe I got distracted by those kids and forgot about my supper…" Rafe grumbled half-heartedly, then looked over at Evelyn eagerly. "That bakery down the road makes the best cakes ever. You haven't tried them, have you?"

"Are you sure the bakery is still open at this hour?" Evelyn laughed as she followed him down the street, casting those dark thoughts deep into the corners of her brain. She had plenty of time to stew over them when Rafe's gone on his mission. For the short period of time she had with him, she wanted to make sure he was happy.

"While we're on the topic of kids," Evelyn smiled as she looked up at him. "If we have a son, what would you call him?"

Rafe was silent for a while, then said quietly. "Danny."

"Danny…" Evelyn repeated, her eyes softening at the thought of the quiet, charming young man whom she owed everything she had now. "It's a good name. I like it."

* * *

That night, after saying goodbye to Rafe, Evelyn made her way up to her room, smiling happily to herself as she thought of the romantic supper they just had.

Well, it wasn't much actually. They just sat by the beach with a random assortment of cake, fries and melted cheese, and Rafe managed to get her to laugh and laugh and laugh…

It still made her heart warm all over to think that they were now engaged.

Evelyn opened the door to her room, then blinked in surprise when she saw Gabby still sitting up in bed. She had thought Gabby would be asleep by now. Amused, she watched as Gabby sat hunched over a small notebook, writing something down furiously. "What're you doing?"

Jumping in surprise, Gabby's head jerked up, then she grinned sheepishly at Evelyn. "You're back? Sorry, I didn't even realise…"

"You're busy, I can tell." Evelyn smiled as she went over and sat down beside Gabby on her makeshift bed. "What's it about? You seem excited."

"I'm going back to the army." Gabby's eyes shone with enthusiasm as she looked at Evelyn. Evelyn frowned at those words. She hadn't expected that answer. "How?" Surely she couldn't be thinking of passing off as a guy again…

Gabby shook her head as she laughed. "Not as a man, obviously. I'd get skinned by Doolittle if he sees me. No, this time, I'm going as me, and I'm going to make me a pilot. Imagine that," Her eyes took on a dreamy look as she sighed. "My very own dogtag, with my name on it. It's just…perfect."

"Woah, hold on a second." Evelyn's frown deepened. It wasn't that she didn't understand Gabby's love for flying, but she wasn't really following Gabby's train of thought here. "Since when are women allowed to be pilots in the army? I thought they weren't, which was why you had to pretend to be a guy for all those years, wasn't it?"

Gabby quickly explained the roles of the new female pilot squadron. "There wouldn't be any combat missions, so I still won't get to be with Danny. Still, I'd be able to fly a proper plane again, and I've been wanting to do that for ages! Not that there's anything wrong with Rafe's old crop-duster, but its just…boring, after a while."

If Danny was there to fly the crop-duster with her, that would be another matter. But she'd already spent a year in Rafe's old farmhouse by herself, and flying that old crop-duster wasn't half as fun as flight training in the army used to be.

"So you're just going to help them get the planes where they need it?"

"Yeah, like between airfields, factories…it used to be done by male pilots, but the army needs more people to join in the fighting, so they want to free up the male pilots to do that."

"Even though your missions aren't combat missions, these airfields you are flying to could still be in combat zones?"

Gabby hesitated. "Yeah, I suppose." She hadn't really thought of that…

Evelyn sighed. "Does Danny know about this?"

Gabby nodded. "I told him."

"And he agreed?" Evelyn raised her eyebrows incredulously.

Gabby shrugged somewhat sheepishly. "Only because there wouldn't be any combat missions." His reaction would likely be very different if he realised her "non-combat" missions involved flying through combat zones. Glancing over at Evelyn's worried face, Gabby smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse."

Evelyn shook her head in resignation. "Why you people keep throwing yourselves into war I'll never understand…" Rafe's like that, Danny's like that, and now Gabby…

Taking Gabby's hand in hers, she grasped it firmly. "But its your decision, and I'll respect it. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Gabby smiled and nodded. "I will."

"You haven't told me what this has got to do with you going back into the army." Evelyn pointed at the small notebook in Gabby's hand.

"Ah, this? Its my shopping list. There are a few things I should get ready before signing myself up. I'm going to buy new pairs of shorts, socks, toothpaste…you won't believe just how quickly these things run out in the army. My socks always disappear for some strange reason…"

Evelyn smiled vaguely as Gabby chatted enthusiastically about her plans, but she couldn't bring herself to share in Gabby's obvious joy. Why couldn't the people she cared about keep themselves safe?

A sense of loneliness edged its way into her heart, dampening her good mood. Because Rafe had proposed, it was supposed to be the happiest night in her life, but that happiness is being tainted by all these goodbyes she was going to have to say in the very near future. Both Rafe and Danny would be going away in two weeks, and she had no idea when she would be able to see them again. And now, Gabby was going away too. For the past year, she had Gabby to share her anxiety and worry with, but two weeks from now, she would be on her own again. This time with one more person to worry about.

Evelyn heaved a silent sigh, rubbing her temples. Well, she should have gotten used to it by now, isn't it?

* * *

**Reviews? :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Going separate ways

**Author's note: The missions and training that I'm going to talk about in this story aren't going to be historical ones though, just to give everyone a heads' up! I don't know enough about WWII history to make it a convincing story if I base it on actual historic missions, and I'm going to take a lot of time to research if I try to do it that way. So, it'll just be plain old me making up stuff as I go along, do bear with me! **

* * *

Chapter 5

Within a month of coming back to New York, she'd met up with Danny and found a way to get back into the cockpit. Her boredom for the past year seemed like such a joke now, and Gabby almost wondered why she hadn't come back earlier. The only problem with rejoining the army though, was she had no idea whether she would be around the next time Danny got back. Whether she liked it or not, she couldn't be posted to the same missions as Danny, and that meant their schedules could clash. Alright, make that "would". Their schedules would clash. She'd been through the army, she knew how it worked.

These two weeks she had left with Danny could be their only chance to be together for a long time to come.

That didn't stop her from being surprised when she woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door, and opened it to see Danny grinning up at her with a fully packed bag slung over his shoulder. He looked as if he had packed all his stuff and was ready to move in with her…

Suddenly, Gabby was wide awake.

Glancing warily at him, she asked cautiously. "What are you doing, Danny?"

"I just did all your shopping for you, the least you could do is let me in." Danny gave her an accusing look, then pushed past her nonchalantly as he let himself into the small apartment.

Gabby gaped at him for a second, speechless as she watched Danny leave the bag on the floor and plant himself on the sofa with a happy sigh, acting perfectly at home. He had the nerve to tilt his head at her when he saw her still standing by the open door. "Aren't you going to close that door?"

"You can't just…this is Evelyn's apartment, not mine!" Gabby hissed, but Danny only shrugged.

"Evelyn's not in, I know. She told me last night that she was working the morning shift today." He winked at her. "Even if she was here, I''m sure she would be more than happy to let me in."

Gabby had no choice but to acknowledge that. Rolling her eyes, she closed the door, then turned to face him with a long-suffering expression on her face. "Its 9am, Danny, what's all this about?"

"Like I said, I just went and did all your shopping for you." Danny stated in a matter-of-fact tone. As if to prove his point, he unzipped the bag and started emptying its contents.

This time, Gabby gaped in earnest as she saw what was coming out of the bag. How on earth did he fit all those in there? Shirts, shorts, pants, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toiletries…there was even a comb and a small portable mirror. That was when she realised what Danny did. He'd gone and bought all the things she planned on getting to prepare for her imminent re-enlistment. She'd only just written up a list last night, but it seemed she didn't need to. He already had everything ready.

Her heart warmed all over. "You didn't have to."

Danny grinned, then patted the space on the sofa beside him enthusiastically. Gabby couldn't help smiling at the obvious invitation, and obligingly went over to sit beside him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a snuggle.

"You thought I had something else on my mind, didn't you? When you saw me standing there with the bag." He remarked casually, but the amusement in his voice was impossible to miss.

"I did not." Gabby lied smoothly, a tinge of guilt colouring her cheeks as she remembered her first thought when she saw him at the door.

Danny chuckled, running a hand dotingly through her hair. "Is that so? You had such a scandalous look on your face that I could have sworn you were thinking that perhaps, I had decided overnight that I was going to move here so we can spend all our time together and…"

"Do you want something to drink? I'll get you something to drink." Gabby shot up from the sofa and fled into the kitchen.

Danny burst out laughing, and called after her. "That would be nice. Thank you!"

How he always seemed to read her mind she would never know, but Gabby couldn't stop smiling as she set the kettle on a boil and got the tea and sugar out of the cupboard. He was always looking out for her, showing his love through these small little acts that easily made her day each time.

Still, Gabby wasn't sure Danny would be quite so enthusiastic if he knew she might be flying through combat zones…

He didn't need to know, Gabby decided. He had always been a worrier and it could end up distracting him on his missions, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

Making up her mind, Gabby picked up the two steaming mugs of tea and made her way towards the living room.

She could take care of herself.

* * *

Finally, the day came when she had to send Danny off again. They hadn't been doing much over the past two weeks, in fact, most of the time they had just stayed at home. Evelyn's home, to be exact, but for these two weeks, it became more like her home with Danny. When Evelyn wasn't working, she and Rafe would be outside getting things ready for their wedding. Although Rafe had no idea when he would be back, he was determined to become a married man by the end of this upcoming mission, and that meant their wedding could be anything between four months to a year from now. Having such a broad timeframe wasn't exactly helpful in getting things like invitation cards and venue reservations ready, but that didn't stop them from looking up wedding dresses and checking out restaurants in the area.

That left Evelyn's apartment empty and available for Gabby and Danny to hang out together. They didn't do anything in particular either, just normal everyday activities like watching television, doing the laundry, falling asleep on the sofa…once, Gabby spent an entire afternoon stealing glances at Danny over the top of her newspapers as he sat by the window, engrossed in a novel he picked off Evelyn's bookshelf.

It was like a preview of their life in the future, when the war was over and they could finally be together forever.

A most beautiful future.

The train gave off a sharp piecing whistle, jerking Gabby from her thoughts. Shooting a withering glare at the train, she sighed in resignation as she readjusted Danny's cap and straightened his badge for the tenth time. Danny smiled and pulled her in for a quick kiss, then leaned his forehead against hers. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will." Gabby promised. "Be careful yourself."

"Let me know when you get settled down."

"I will." Although it wasn't the first time she was sending him off, she could still feel the slight sting of tears in her eyes as she blinked them away furiously. It definitely wasn't going to be the last time she sent him off. She couldn't end up crying every time, could she?

"…bye." He planted one last kiss on her forehead, then pulled away reluctantly. Picking up his bags, he waved and made his way towards the train.

Beside them, Rafe and Evelyn had finished saying their goodbyes as well, and Rafe gave Gabby a quick wave of goodbye before hurrying after Danny, who had already disappeared into the train carriage.

Evelyn came to stand beside Gabby, and they watched in silence as the train slowly pulled out of the station.

* * *

Gabby got onto the next train and settled herself in for the two hour ride, entertaining herself with a book and thoughts of Danny's expression when he discovers her little surprise. How she wished she could see it for herself…sighing in resignation, Gabby turned back to her book. She'd only just said goodbye to him, and she was missing him already. Tracing her finger lightly across the small silver wings she wore around her neck, Gabby smiled wistfully as she remembered how Danny had given them to her after the Doolittle Raid. They had been his wings, and now, they were hers. It was almost like he was here with her. Almost, but it would have to do.

Gabby felt the old sense of excitement bubbling up again as her station neared. Closing her eyes briefly, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to be able to rejoin the army as herself, not masquerading as a guy called Gabriel Connor, and she grinned in satisfaction. It was going to be so much fun.

Soon, she was at the gates of the base where the female pilot squadron was based, and by now she could barely contain herself. Walking briskly through the small base, she took in the familiar surroundings, the crisp and simple layout which was so typical of military buildings, the small runway and five hangars housing ten planes. Her eyes fell on the canteen not far off, and she cringed slightly at the thought of army camp food. It was a small inconvenience she was going to have to put up with, but she was willing to do that to get her wings back.

Her brown eyes shone as she looked hungrily at the planes in the hangars. The sight of those sleek, beautiful machines sent her blood singing, and she could hardly wait to get into one of them and go up flying. At the moment, a few engineers were working on some planes in the hangar closest to her, and a few planes flew by overhead in a routine training exercise. Gabby's spirits fell slightly when she saw those planes take turns making simple turns and twists in the air.

Right, she almost forgot, she was going to have to start from scratch and pretend it was her first time handling military aircraft. That meant it could take up to two months before she could go on her first flight, and even then, it might just be simply taking off and landing.

Gabby shuddered, then squared her shoulders as she made her way towards the small office behind the hangars where she had been told to report. Maybe she could tell her instructor that she had some experience with flying farm aircraft…after all, she did spend a year flying Rafe's old crop-duster in Tennessee. Perhaps that could help waive those boring introductory lessons…

The commanding officer who greeted her was a grey-haired captain with deep blue eyes by the name of Captain Barnes. The corners of his eyes crinkled in a friendly smile as he shook her hand warmly. "Welcome onboard."

"I'm very happy to be here, sir." Gabby said as she shook his hand earnestly.

"Well then, let's get you started, shall we?"

Captain Barnes was indeed the efficient man he seemed to be when she spoke to him over the phone a few days ago to inform him of her intention to enlist. Within an hour, she was given a quick tour of the base, a timetable for her training and sent off to her room to unpack. It was a room she was going to be sharing with three other new recruits, two of whom were arriving tomorrow and one another week later.

Like Doolittle said, it was indeed a small squadron. Gabby couldn't remember all the names of her new squad mates whom she met along the way, but she only counted ten so far. Add those who were in flight training, and there would only be fifteen female pilots including herself. Captain Barnes had said there were a couple more of such training squadrons across the country, but he didn't mention any specific numbers.

Well, it did make sense to keep the training squadrons small, so that the instructors could keep a closer eye on all of them. Once they "graduate", so to speak, they would get to join larger missions and meet more of their fellow lady pilots.

Being the first one to settle down in her room, Gabby took the liberty of choosing the bed by the window, where she got a good view of the runway and the sparkling sea beyond. In a way, it was quite similar to the view she had when she was in Pearl Harbor…back then, Danny had been her roommate.

Ah, the good old times.

Gabby sat herself down on her new bed and started unpacking her bag. She couldn't help smiling as she took out her belongings, which Danny had thoughtfully sorted into neat bundles. It didn't take too long, and pretty soon, Gabby found herself with nothing to do. Her first lesson wasn't until the next morning, and she didn't feel particularly keen about going down to the canteen for dinner.

Checking her watch, Gabby slipped on a simple jacket and left the base.

Whistling a happy tune to herself, Gabby strolled down the street in her quest for better food. No point subjecting herself to the tortures of army food if she had the time to find something better.

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny and Rafe were walking back to their bunks after their mission briefing. None of them were talking, each engrossed in their own thoughts. It sounded like a regular mission. Load up on bombs, drop them on a few targets, and fly back. Repeat daily until told to stop. The commander had been more eloquent in his briefing, but that was essentially the crux of the mission.

It was indeed a regular mission, something which the both of them had unfortunately gotten quite used to.

The only problem was the location. They were being posted to England for the duration of this mission, which was estimated to take around eight to eighteen months, depending on the circumstances. Danny snorted as he shook his head in frustration. That meant it would take eighteen months, if not more. The lower limit of eight months was just there to make them feel slightly better about themselves.

Looking sideways at Rafe, Danny sighed and prodded his friend gently with his elbow. "How are you going to tell Evelyn about this?"

"I don't know, I'm still thinking." Rafe grumbled. The last time he went to England, he had been shot down at sea. Evelyn and Danny went through agonising months thinking he was dead.

If he told Evelyn he was posted to England again, what would she think? It wasn't as if it would bring back fond memories…she was going to worry herself sick.

To make things worse, he might not be back within the next year and a half.

Damn.

Danny had other things to worry about as well. If Gabby was still sitting around in Rafe's farmhouse, it wouldn't be as bad. He could still write to her regularly, and it wouldn't matter if he was posted to England. Having to be away for such a long time was a pain, but other than that, there wasn't much else he could complain about. The problem was, Gabby had joined the army, this time without him around to look out for her.

Danny's temples started throbbing as he remembered how Gabby used to fall out of her bed while sleeping, and how she always left her socks on the clothes lines thinking they belonged to someone else. She'd always been a little bit of a scatterbrain, and to think that he was going to be away in another country for such a long period of time while all sorts of things could be happening to her…

Sighing in resignation, Danny plonked himself on his bunk and started unpacking his stuff. There was no point thinking so much about things, was there? Gabby had made her choice, and the least he could do was respect it. If that meant letting her loose on her unfortunate teammates…well, she was going to have to manage.

His fingers came across an unfamiliar package at the bottom of his bag, and Danny frowned as he brought up an irregular bundle wrapped in brown paper. What was this? He didn't remember packing something like that…

The first layer came off, revealing another layer of brown paper. Then another, then another…

Danny's frown deepened as he continued his curious journey down layers of brown paper. Was this some kind of joke? He glanced suspiciously at Rafe, who was lying sprawled on his bed, chewing on his pen as he pondered over how to best phrase his letter to Evelyn. Danny blinked, then quickly dismissed the thought.

If Rafe pulled this prank on him, he would definitely have a larger reaction than this. Right now, his best friend wasn't even looking his way.

It wasn't Rafe's work. It could only be…Gabby.

If Gabby was the one behind this, he wouldn't be surprised if it ended up just being a bundle of brown paper and nothing else. She seemed to enjoy doing stuff like this, just because he never managed to get mad at her.

To his surprise, there was something underneath all the brown paper, though Danny could imagine how ridiculous he looked right now to anyone who came into their room at this point. He was sitting on his bed, which was a mess of blank brown paper, with a small pile of coloured letters on his lap. Curious, he picked one up. It was labelled "Frustrated." To top it off, there was an infuriating smiley face beside that word, as if she was out to make things worse for him.

Danny's grin widened as he flipped through the others. Angry, sad, rejected, nostalgic, hungry, sick, happy, crazy…he raised his eyebrows when he saw one that said "constipated".

What was going on in that mind of hers when she was writing all these? Perhaps he would never understand.

Still, it must have taken her quite some time to prepare all these. When did she do it though? Over the past two weeks, they spent all day with each other, and he'd never seen her write these…she could only have done them at night then, after he had left.

It was a considerable pile of letters covering a very comprehensive range of emotions. Danny was impressed.

He couldn't help laughing when he came across the "instructions manual".

"Danny,

I bet you're touched by my little present, aren't you? Ah, it would have been entertaining watching you unwrap my packaging, but I guess I'll just have to make do with my imagination.

You would probably have guessed by now. This is the survival pack I've prepared for you, guaranteed to last you through any number of missions in the present and future. Since we can't be together all the time, you would just have to open the letter which corresponds to how you're feeling at that point in time, and it would be like I was there to talk to you in that situation.

You can thank me later.

I'm going to miss you loads, but no matter how long you're going to have to be away, no matter where you get posted, I'll always be thinking of you.

Write back whenever you can. I'll keep you updated about my exploits too.

Love you. Stay safe,

Gabby

P.S. I bet you're going to read every single one of them right now. That would probably spoil your surprise for when you actually need it, but its up to you."

Danny's mouth twisted in a suppressed grin, his unhappiness at the length and location of his mission temporarily banished to the far corners of his mind. She was right. He was going to read every single one of them right now. He would die of curiosity otherwise.

Oh, what was he going to do without her?

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	6. Chapter 6: A new beginning

**Author's note: Really sorry for the delayed update! Thank you to all those who liked my story and bothered to review! I'm trying to get more action into the story for future chapters, haha, things have been moving a bit too slowly so far, I feel. ^^"**

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Chapter 6

A polite knock on the door woke Gabby up from her sleep the next morning. She jerked out of bed without even thinking about it, flying towards the door and opening it in one fluid motion despite her eyes only being half-opened. It was only when she had the door opened and found herself looking at two surprised faces that she realised she probably looked like a mess right now, but it was already too late.

Gabby smiled sheepishly as she quickly ran a hand through her messy hair in a futile effort to tame them. "Hi, I'm Gabby. You're going to be my roommates, are you? Nice to meet you."

"…hi, I'm Nancy Gordon. Call me Nancy." The pretty-looking blonde with sparkling blue eyes on the right reacted first, and she extended a hand to shake Gabby's warmly. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Hazel Wood." The shy-looking girl on the left bobbed her head as she offered an awkward smile. Like her name, she had hazel eyes which went well with her full head of thick brown curls, which fell to her shoulders.

Gabby took a liking to her new roommates almost instantly. It was refreshing to finally meet other girls who shared her love for flying, and having volunteered to be trained as pilots, these girls definitely fit her "friends" criteria. "Come on in, you guys should get unpacked. It's almost time for breakfast."

As the day went by, Gabby almost felt sorry for her new roommates as they got swept into their first class by a strict-looking flight instructor straight after breakfast. She had had a day to relax and get herself prepared. Well, right, half a day, but still, that was better than these poor girls who'd only just arrived that morning. Gabby could only imagine what would be waiting for their last roommate, who was to arrive next week.

Trying to keep a straight face as she watched her fellow classmates' eyes glaze over, the instructor's droning voice soon faded into the back of her mind as she gave up feigning interest in the boring class. Gabby chewed on her lip as her mind drifted towards Danny and how he was going.

Did he get a break after he arrived? Or was he pushed straight into action like these poor girls here? How was the weather like? Did he pack enough clothes?

"Connor!" A brisk voice interrupted her thoughts, and Gabby's head shot up instinctively. "Yes?"

"Pay attention, please." The instructor gave her a very disapproving look. "What I'm teaching you girls is going to be very important once you start flying."

Gabby ducked her head apologetically. "Sorry, sir."

He was right. Knowing where the controls were and how to read the flight meters were very important parts of their jobs as pilots. The only problem was, she knew all these already.

Gabby sighed as she leaned back into her chair, determinedly keeping her eyes trained on the chalk in the instructor's hand as he enthusiastically drew diagrams and models of planes on the blackboard. He was trying his best to teach them, and she felt bad for not paying attention, but oh, this was boring her to death!

* * *

That night, the girls got together in their room and started sharing stories about each other. Gabby listened with interest as Nancy talked about how her father, a humble baker working in a small town, had seen news reports of military action during the Great War, and how he'd idolised pilots ever since, dreaming of the day when he could have a son flying one of those powerful machines and be out there protecting the country and the people. All his children turned out to be girls, which was a huge disappointment to him. Girls weren't allowed in the air force, not until recently, when this female squadron was established. Her father had been thrilled when she told him she wanted to enlist as a pilot.

Gabby pressed her lips together slightly as she sighed inwardly. Nancy's father's impression of war was very much what it was portrayed in the media to be. Glorious, brave, patriotic…she knew better than anyone else how far that was from reality, but she refrained from saying anything. The way Nancy's eyes shone as she spoke of her decision to enlist in the army, it was obvious she shared her father's ideals, and she was undoubtedly glad to finally have the chance to be part of the action. It was not her place then, as a new acquaintance, to correct something which Nancy had grown up believing.

Hazel though, had a very different story. She'd come looking for someone, almost like how Gabby had joined the army for Danny all those years ago, and her story struck a chord in Gabby's heart. Hazel's brother, who had joined the army four years ago, had not been in contact ever since. She wrote countless letters to him, but they all went unanswered. Her only hope was that since her family had not been informed of him being killed in action, he was still alive somewhere.

"Why don't you just write to the army and ask them for his whereabouts?" Gabby couldn't help asking.

"…he doesn't like me." Hazel said softly, a sorrowful look in her eyes as she stared out the window. "I am from my father's second marriage, and.…let's just say my brother has always hated me for that. He never told anyone he had a sister, and I can imagine how furious he would be if I wrote in asking about him, so I never dared to. I never expected him to reply to any of my letters anyway, but ever since the war started…I got worried, and I couldn't just sit around waiting anymore. I just wanted to know if he's safe."

The room was quiet for a short while, then Gabby reached out and laid a comforting hand on Hazel's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find him."

"Thanks." Hazel smiled gratefully at her, then wrapped her arms around her knees as she tilted her head towards Gabby. "What's your story?"

"Mine?" Gabby chuckled. "I don't have much of a story, compared to you two. I met a perfect guy, grew up with him and though we lost contact for a while, I've had a crush on him since forever, and thankfully, I found him two years ago. We've been together ever since. He's the kindest, sweetest and the most charming man I'll ever meet." Gabby's eyes shone as she pictured Danny's smiling face in her mind, and her mouth curved into a happy smile. "He's a pilot, so that's why I'm here."

Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Just like that?"

Yeah, and I also pretended to be a man and joined the army for five years, and might still be in there if not for the Doolittle Raid where I got discovered. These were words she couldn't say to anyone though, not unless she wanted to land herself in jail.

Smiling, she turned to her roommates. "Yeah, I wanted to share in his dream and, you know, understand a bit about what he's going through every time he leaves on these missions. Besides, these missions keep him away for such long periods of time, I'm thinking it might be better if I join the army so that there is a higher chance of us getting to see one another." Well, she wasn't exactly lying, these were some of the many reasons she had for wanting to fly again.

Nancy shook her head as she gave Gabby a knowing smile. "Boy trouble, eh?" Nudging Gabby playfully in the side, she teased. "Do we get to see a picture of this wonder boy of yours?"

Gabby pursed her lips at that question. For the first time, she realised she did not have a photo of Danny. The two of them never had a photo taken together! How could she have missed such an important detail? Sticking her tongue out sheepishly at her roommates, Gabby quickly made a mental note to rectify this oversight the next time she saw Danny.

* * *

Rafe and Danny arrived at the gates of the British air base close to night time, and by the time they finished settling in and unpacking, it was already dark outside. Neither of them felt like sleeping though, so they began on a slow stroll around the base, taking the opportunity to acquaint themselves with their new surroundings. This was to be their home for a good eighteen months, they might as well start getting used to it now.

There was a tense silence in the cold night air which almost felt uncomfortable. Rafe smiled wryly as he remembered the many sleepless nights he had when he was with the Eagle Squadron all those years ago, lying awake in his bed keeping an ear out for the sound of sirens. The Germans could spring an attack on them at any time, and the pilots were always on alert so that they could be combat ready within the shortest time possible. Some things haven't changed a bit. He's still got that feeling that they could be attacked any time, which was probably true. They were in England now, after all, and everyone knows the intense fighting that occurred on a daily basis between the British and the Germans nowadays.

The soft crunch of stones beneath their feet seemed uncharacteristically loud in this silence. Looking over at his friend beside him, Rafe smiled as he saw Danny cautiously sizing up the air base, feeling all the tension melting away. This time, he had his best friend with him. He was not alone.

It was somewhat disturbing to see graze marks along the walls of all the buildings in the base, and even holes in some places where the bullets went right through. Danny shuddered slightly at the thought of what happened in those incidences when the bullets did pierce through the walls. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind.

It seemed like this was a very "active" base, and attracted a fair bit of attention from the Germans. There were also some huge hangars which sat in a corner of the air base all by themselves. There ought to be close to fifty planes housed in those hangars, and the huge maintenance shed right beside it was equally, if not more, impressive. The British took the maintenance of their fleet very seriously indeed.

"This is a much bigger place than the one I was at last time." Rafe commented lightly.

Danny hesitated slightly. "…how was it like?"

Rafe blinked, then realised Danny was asking about the time he spent in England before the United States joined in the war. This was the first time Danny asked about his life with the Eagle Squadron. Before he could answer, however, a loud, blaring sound ripped through the silent night air. Suddenly, the entire base lit up in lights and the sound of running feet and shouting came from above them as the pilots in the barracks scrambled to get ready.

Rafe and Danny looked at each other, then sighed unanimously. They'd thought they would at least get the night off before they got into the heat of things tomorrow morning. Was that too much to ask?

Someone came flying down the narrow flight of metal stairs at the side of the hangars, spewing expletives as he headed straight for the huge doors and begun hauling them open, completely ignoring the two of them who were standing a short distance away. They wanted to help, but they had no idea how to, and in the end, Rafe and Danny ended up just trying to keep themselves out of the way as much as possible. There was a limit to what they could do to help when they had no planes assigned to them and couldn't even help get ammunition ready since they had no idea where things were stored.

Soon, the quiet air base became a whirl of activity as pilots swarmed out of the barracks and flooded the hangars, but though everything quickly became disorganized in the way things became when there were too many people squeezed into a small space, it was an ordered state of chaos. Danny did a quick count of the fleet. Forty-eight. It wasn't huge, but hopefully it was sufficient. Even with the threat of an impending air raid staring them right in the face, none of the pilots wavered. Looking around at the calm, grim faces of his soon-to-be combat mates as they strapped themselves into their cockpits, Danny felt a strange sense of reassurance. These were not young, innocent pilots fresh out of flight school. They were weathered men of war, and they knew what they needed to do. He could trust them to watch his back.

Like all combat-ready bases, the planes were already fuelled, and only a few needed to be armed before the entire fleet was ready. It did not take long before the first plane cruised onto the runway and took off, just as the wailing sound of engines became audible over the blaring sirens. One after the other, the planes raced down the runway and took off with such fluid ease that could only come with familiarity. They were just in time.

Fighter jets painted in the colours of the German army descended on the base, but it was too dark to make out their numbers. The British pilots sent volleys of bullets into the German fleet, forcing the planes to split up and veer off in various directions before descending on their tails and trying their best to shoot their enemy out of the sky. The Germans didn't sit around waiting to be shot at either, as the entire fleet quickly regrouped and turned around to take on the British in earnest.

The sounds of engines roaring past were deafening, but Danny and Rafe could hardly tear their eyes away from the battle scene unfolding in front of their eyes. It was frustrating that they could only watch from the relative safety of the hangars, wishing they could be up there to do their part in driving the Germans away but unable to do any more than pray for the victory of their new teammates. If only they had planes assigned to them…

"Aren't you two pilots? Why aren't you getting into your planes? Wait a minute, have I seen you guys before?" It was the guy who opened the doors of the hangars earlier. His sand-coloured hair was in a tousled mess, as if he'd just jumped out of bed, which was probably true. There was a grim expression in those startling green eyes as he eyed the two of them suspiciously. He was not in uniform, but there was this unmistakeable aura of authority around him that Danny was willing to bet he was someone of a high rank, perhaps on par with Doolittle. It seemed as if Mr Important Person had only just realised that he did not recognise them at all.

"We're from the States…" Rafe started to explain.

"Oh, so you're those two?" The man's eyes suddenly lit up, and the look in his eyes became much friendlier.

"You know about us?" Danny asked in surprise. They had only just reported to the administrative office a little more than two hours ago, and the clerk had told them to come back again in the morning as Colonel Shelly wasn't around. How did this guy know about them?

"Of course, I know everything that goes on in this place." The man broke into a grin, but the sound of an explosion from above wiped it off his face instantly. Walking towards where Rafe and Danny were standing, he looked up at the night sky and was just in time to catch sight of the diminishing fireball disappearing under the cover of some trees in the distance. He cursed softly, then ran back to the rear of the hangars and grabbed a mobile radio set hanging off a hook on the wall. Slightly distorted voices could be heard coming out of the old radio as the pilots updated each other on what was happening.

By now, Danny had a rough idea who this man was, but he still felt he should ask just to make sure. "You are Colonel Shelly?"

He waved impatiently, his eyes still glued on the sky. "Just Fred would do. I wish I could put you guys into planes and get you up there right now, but my baby and a couple of the rest are under maintenance and won't be ready until tomorrow, so we don't have any more planes you guys could use."

"Sir, we…" Rafe begun, but Colonel Shelly raised a hand to stop him.

"Fred, please. Go somewhere under cover for now, this will be the only day I let you guys off easy. Enjoy it while you can. I need to make sure my men don't get themselves blown up just because I'm not up there with them."

With that, he strode out of the hangar with the radio in hand, occasionally barking commands into it in response to something that was said. It was clear their conversation was over.

Rafe and Danny looked at each other.

"You think he's serious about this?" Rafe asked.

Danny frowned slightly. "About what?"

"Calling him Fred."

Danny blinked, then sighed. "I don't think that's our biggest concern right now, Rafe." They were in the middle of a battleground, and even as they speak, stray bullets were whizzing through the air. While their new commander had given them permission to lie low tonight, finding a safe place to do just that might not be easy either.

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